Yarn spooling machine with yarn lubricating device

ABSTRACT

The yarn is guided in a predetermined path past a cylinder housing having a thread guiding groove or notch. A lubricating fluid inlet opening to provide lubricating fluid when synthetic yarns are being spooled, is provided for the cylinder. The cylinder has an outlet opening and within the cylinder is a piston with an accurately calibrated surface which, when the piston is moved, accurately controls the outflow of lubricant from the outlet which has a terminal end close to the notch or groove through which the thread passes. The surface which controls the amount of fluid may be an extension of smaller diameter than the diameter of the cylinder housing, an inclined surface, or an eccentric surface formed on the piston which, when the piston is rotated, permits more or less fluid to be applied to the outlet opening. Upon full travel of the piston, fluid is shut off so that no oil will escape, for example during yarn changing.

tates Patent [1 1 Perberschlager Oct. 23, 1973 YARN SPOOLING MACHINE WITH YARN LUBRICATING DEVICE [75] Inventor: Alois Perberschlager, Zurich,

Switzerland [73] Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Schweiter AG,

Horgen, Switzerland [22] Filed: Aug. 9, 1972 [21] Appl. No.'. 278,999

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 26, 1971 Switzerland 12621/71 [52] U.S. Cl. 118/420 [51] Int. Cl. B05c l/00 [58] Field of Search 118/234, 324, 420

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,972,824 9/1934 Danielson 118/420 X 2,083,635 6/1937 Butler et al.... 118/234 2,373,078 4/1945 Kleist 118/420 X 3,347,208 10/1967 Arridge... 118/420 3,507,250 4/1970 Dew 118/420 X Primary Examiner-Louis K. Rimrodt Attorney-Robert D. Flynn et al.

[57] ABSTRACT The yarn is guided in a predetermined path past a cylinder housing having a thread guiding groove or notch. A lubricating fluid inlet opening to provide lubricating fluid when synthetic yarns are being spooled,

is provided for the cylinder. The cylinder has an outlet opening and within the cylinder is a piston with an accurately calibrated surface which, when the piston is moved, accurately controls the outflow of lubricant from the outlet which has a terminal end close to the I notch or groove through which the thread passes. The

surface which controls the amount of fluid may be an extension of smaller diameter than the diameter of the cylinder housing, an inclined surface, or an eccentric surface formed on the piston which, when the piston is rotated, permits more or less fluid to be applied to the outlet opening. Upon full travel of the piston, fluid is shut off so that no oil will escape, for example during yarn changing.

9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures memes PATENTEDum 23 1915 Fig.1

YARN SPOOL ING MACHINE WITH YARN LUBRICATING DEVICE The present invention relates to yarn spooling machines and more particularly to yarn spooling machines adapted to spool synthetic yarns and which have a yarn lubricating device. i

Spooling and re-spooling of synthetic yarns result in deposits on the machine elements which contact the yarn directly. Unless special precautions are taken, these deposits rapidly harden, and these hardened deposits then can damage the yarns, and particularly m'onofilamentary yarns passing thereover.

It has been found that if a small quantity of a lubricating substance, for example oil is placed on the yarn, such deposits are avoided or, if they should'happen, they will not harden.

Yarn spooling machines have been proposed in which the yarn is wetted with a lubricating substance, or is made moist. Such apparatus has usually been provided immediately adjacent the take-up reel, or take-up spool for the yarn and cannot be placed, at random, within the path of the yarn since otherwise the lubricating or wetting substance would again be removed from the yarn, for example when the yarn runs through a thread brake.

Pre-oilers, or similar device have therefore previously been located within the path of the thread or yarn which were so designed that just so much lubricant is applied to the yarn that deposits, and hardening of the deposits was avoided. These pre-oilers usually included a wick which is dipped into an oil supply, the yarn passing along the surface of the wick. This type of apparatus has disadvantages since the amount of lubricant which isapplied to the yarn, that is, which is carried along by yarn movement, is practically uncontrollable, and is very difficult to check. Usually anexcess amount of oil was carried along which was again deposited on other machine elements which are contacted by the yarn, which results insubstantial contamination of the machine, and its surroundings, with such excess oil.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a yarn spooling machine, particularly forsynthetic yarns, such as monofilamentary yarns, and which has a lubrieating supply device which permits accurate control of the amount of lubricant being applied to the yarn.

SUBJECT MATTER OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Bri y, a cylinder housing is provided which is formed, at a side thereof, with a groove or notch through which the yarn passes. An oil inlet opening is formed in the cylinder, and an oil outlet opening is provided from the cylinder and terminating in the vicinity of the yarn groove or notch. The cylinder chamber itself has a piston therein which is movably located within the cylindenand which has a pistonend portion which is shaped so that the amount of fluid passing from the inlet to the outlet, and hence to the yarn, can be accurately controlled. Thus, by fine and accurate control of the path from lubricant inlet to lubricant outlet through the cylinder chamber, the amount of oil applied to the yarn is controllable.

The structure of the present invention also permits ready interruption of oil supply, for example when yarn spools have to be changed, or if the machine has to be stopped to clear a jam. Nevertheless, as soon as the machine is started, continuous and accurate supply of lubricant, in reproducible quantities, can be maintained.

The control end portion of the cylinder may have various shapes it may be a portion of slightly lesser diameter, with the piston being axially movable within the cylinder; or it may be formed with an inclined surface (with respect to the piston axis) or with an eccentric terminal end, the piston being rotatable for control of the free passage opening to the outlet from the cylinder.

If the quantity of lubricant to be supplied changes substantially, for example with substantial change in size of yarn passing through the spooling machine, replacement of the piston with pistons of differently shaped control end portions permit substantial change in oil flow to the yarn, beyond the control range of any one particular piston.

The invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a highly schematic representation ofa yarn spooling machine in accordance with the present invention, particularly adapted to spool synthetic yarns;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, partly cut away, of the yarn lubricating device of the machine of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view a different embodiment of the lubricantsupply; and

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view of yet another embodiment.

The yarn spooling machine, highly schematically shown in FIG. 1, has a payout reel 10, from which a filament F is guided over pulleys 11, in' a predetermined path, to a pull-off mechanism 12, from which it is then guided to a take-up reel 13. A thread brake l4, and a wetting or lubricating device 15 are located between the pull-off mechanism 12 (shown only schematically) and the take-up reel 13. A pressure roller 16 cooperates with take-up spool 13. I The pre-oiler device 17 is located in advance of the pull-off mechanism 12, so that the lubricant will be applied tothe filament F before the filament is engaged by the pull-off mechanism 12. The oiling device will be described in connection with FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

Basically, the oiler 17 includes a housing 20 (FIG. 2) within which a cylinder chamber 21 is formed. An oil inletrduct 22 terminates in the cylinder chamber 21, the oil inlet duct being formed with a connection nipple 23. Nipple 23 can be connected with a lubricating supply line, not further shown, through which lubricant can be applied for example by gravity from a supply located above the level of the device 17. Lubricant can thus be supplied to cylinder chamber 21 without requiring any additional pumps.

An oil outlet duct 24 communicates with cylinder chamber 21. Preferably, oil outlet duct 24 is located opposite the side of oil inlet duct 22 but is offset in axial position. Piston 34 is formed with an end 30, projecting beyond a turned-out groove 31, so that a pair of stop shoulders are provided .which cooperate with a pin 32 extending radially outside of the housing. Pin 32 is guided in a guide way 33, to be movable back and forth. FIG. 2 illustrates the fully open position of the lubricating device, in which the inner end of piston 34, which is of slightly lesser diameter than the diameter of the cylinder chamber 21, defines a narrow channel or duct 35 between the oil inlet opening 22 and the oil outlet duct 24. This channel or duct 35 permits accurate control of the quantity of oil being supplied to the outlet-duct 24. Moving the slider axially towards the left (FIG. 2) decreases the amount of oil flowing through the outlet duct 24. Moving the piston 34 completely to the stop formed by the end part 30 shuts off oil supply, for example if yarn is to be changed. Removing pin 32 permits interchange of piston 34 with different pistons, for example having a slightly smaller,or slightly larger inner projecting end, so that the crosssectional area of the duct or channel 35 between the piston and the inner walls of cylinder chamber 21 can be selected.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, piston 34 is axially movable. In accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 3, the piston 40 is axially fixed but rotatable within cylinder chamber 21. The control surface of the inner end of the piston, in this embodiment, is a surface 41 which is inclined with respect to the axis of the cylinder chamber, that is, also of the piston. Rotating the piston 40 permits control of the amount of oil flow through outlet 24 which, in this embodiment, is shown offset from inlet 22 by 90. A scale 42 formed on the outside of piston 40 permits external reading of the adjustment. A groove is cut into the piston to limit axial travel; if desired, the pin engaging the groove may be a set screw, to permit removal and interchange of the piston.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment, in which a piston 140 has an eccentrically cut end 45, of slightly lesser diameter than the diameter of piston 140; rotation of piston 140 changes the effective minimum cross-sectional area of the channel between the inlet nipple 23 and outlet duct 24 from the piston chamber.

Various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the inventive concept.

I claim:

1. Yarn spooling machine having a yarn lubricating device comprising means guiding the yarn in a predetermined path;

a cylinder housing formed at the outside thereof with a thread guide means and having an inlet opening adapted to be connected toa source of lubricating fluid and an outlet opening terminating adjacent said thread guide means;

and a movable piston (34, 40, located within the cylinder and movable between the outlet opening and outlet blocking positions to control flow from the inlet to the outlet of the cylinder in accordance with the position of the piston within the cylinder.

2. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the piston is axially movable in the cylinder.

3. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the piston is rotatable in the cylinder.

4. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the piston is provided with locating means cooperating with the housing to permit external adjustment and an indication of the position of the piston within the cylinder.

5. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the piston, in the region of the location of said openings, has a portion which is shaped to finely control flow through the cylinder from the inlet to the outlet, upon movement of the piston within the cylinder.

6. Machine according to claim 5, wherein the shaped portion of the piston internally of the cylinder comprises an axial projection of lesser diameter than the cylinder.

7. Machine according to claim 5, wherein the piston is rotatable in the cylinder and the shaped portion of the piston internally of the cylinder comprises a surface inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to'the axis of the piston.

8. Machine according to claim 5, wherein the piston is rotatable in the cylinder and the shaped portion of the piston internally of the cylinder comprises an eccentric projection of lesser diameter than the cylinder.

9. Machine according to claim 5, wherein the piston has an end portion fitting tightly into the cylinder, and means are provided permitting rapid placement of the piston in shut-off position by placing a portion of the piston in blocking position against the inlet opening. 

1. Yarn spooling machine having a yarn lubricating device comprising means guiding the yarn in a predetermined path; a cylinder housing formed at the outside thereof with a thread guide means and having an inlet opening adapted to be connected to a source of lubricating fluid and an outlet opening terminating adjacent said thread guide means; and a movable piston (34, 40, 140) located within the cylinder and movable between the outlet opening and outlet blocking positions to control flow from the inlet to the outlet of the cylinder in accordance with the position of the piston within the cylinder.
 2. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the piston is axially movable in the cylinder.
 3. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the piston is rotatable in the cylinder.
 4. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the piston is provided with locating means cooperating with the housing to permit external adjustment and an indication of the position of the piston within the cylinder.
 5. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the piston, in the region of the location of said openings, has a portion which is shaped to finely control flow through the cylinder from the inlet to the outlet, upon movement of the piston within the cylinder.
 6. Machine according to claim 5, wherein the shaped portion of the piston internally of the cylinder comprises an axial projection of lesser diameter than the cylinder.
 7. Machine according to claim 5, wherein the piston is rotatable in thE cylinder and the shaped portion of the piston internally of the cylinder comprises a surface inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the piston.
 8. Machine according to claim 5, wherein the piston is rotatable in the cylinder and the shaped portion of the piston internally of the cylinder comprises an eccentric projection of lesser diameter than the cylinder.
 9. Machine according to claim 5, wherein the piston has an end portion fitting tightly into the cylinder, and means are provided permitting rapid placement of the piston in shut-off position by placing a portion of the piston in blocking position against the inlet opening. 